In possibly one of the biggest tech link ups to kick off 2025, Tim Cook and Elon Musk have joined forces for a “game changer” iPhone update. The team up between Apple and SpaceX brings Starlink satellite access to the latest iOS 18.3 iPhone update where compatibility with the network has been secretly added.
According to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman revealed, “Apple Inc. has been secretly working with SpaceX and T-Mobile US Inc. to add support for the Starlink network in its latest iPhone software, providing an alternative to the company’s in-house satellite-communication service.” Gurman describes this link up to be an “under-the-radar move” that has also been described as a “game changer” by Mario Nawfal, founder of IBC Group. Taking to X, Nawfal added, “Apple just opened iPhone doors to Starlink’s satellite network, giving users an alternative to their Globalstar service for off-grid communication. The key difference? No more pointing your phone at the sky – Starlink works right from your pocket. T-Mobile to beta testers: ‘You can now stay connected with texting via satellite from virtually anywhere.’ While it’s text-only for now, SpaceX and T-Mobile plan to add voice calls and data in the future. The race for space-based cellular just got interesting.” Musk responded to Nawfal clarifying to the public, “Medium resolution images, music & audio podcasts should work with the current generation Starlink direct-to-phone constellation. Next generation constellation will do medium resolution video.”
Partnering with T-Mobile, a small numbers of iPhones on the network have received messages that have enabled phones for beta testing. The message reads, “You’re in the T-Mobile Starlink beta. You can now stay connected with texting via satellite from virtually anywhere. To start experiencing coverage beyond, please update to iOS 18.3.” Gurman has also noted that, “Users in the program have a new toggle switch in their iPhone cellular data settings to manage the satellite feature.” While the first version is just for texting, SpaceX and T-Mobile have said that it looks to expand its data connections to voice calls later on. As of now, only iPhones in the U.S. have access to the Starlink connectivity and it is said to only be applied to iPhone 14s and onwards.
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